


soft summer wind (lets meet again)

by tenxfruit



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Magic, Mild Swearing, Not Beta Read, Nymphs & Dryads, Yang Jeongin | I.N-centric, hyunjin the hamadryad, jeongin and seungmin are roommates, university student! jeongin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:41:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenxfruit/pseuds/tenxfruit
Summary: It's Jeongin's first year of university on the island, and no amount of warnings from his new friends are going to keep him out of the forest, especially after he realizes that there is something special, something different, about what (or who) is hidden inside.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Seungmin & Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	soft summer wind (lets meet again)

**Author's Note:**

> "Like a sweet-apple  
> turning red  
> high  
> on the tip  
> of the topmost branch.  
> Forgotten by pickers. 
> 
> Not forgotten--  
> they couldn't reach it."
> 
> \- Sappho

Jeongin arrived at the dorm building with two suitcases of stuff behind him and a smile on his face. Despite the muggy heat of the day and the sun hitting his back in a way that caused his shirt to stick uncomfortably to his skin, he was alert and excited. _I’ve finally made it,_ he thought to himself. 

It was his first year of university since he graduated from a small high school on the mainland, and he was beyond ecstatic (a little nervous, too). He loved his friends back home, but Jeongin was ready to start a new life. One on an island, at that. 

Jeongin was a lover of adventures, of new experiences and blooming friendships. As he gazed at the grand walls of the dorm buildings and their surroundings, he knew that this year would certainly be one to remember. 

It was a lot warmer here than he was prepared for, but it was a nice contrast to the rainy days he was used to. He couldn’t wait to explore the town surrounding the university. He decided to find some flowers to press and send to his mother in a card when he had the time. 

First, he had to find his dorm and get all of his belongings inside. He knew that he was staying in a shared room, so he hoped that the other person would be nice enough. It was a daunting enough task to locate his room -- with his history of terrible navigation, it could take a while-- but he also had to lug all of his belongings into the tiny elevator. 

When he found the area that he assumed his dorm was located, he realized that he was on the wrong floor, and resolved to ask a random passer-by for help. 

It took an embarrassing amount of time, but when he finally arrived at his room, he saw that the door was already wide open. A boy, around his age, was lumbering about the room checking on a multitude of vibrant, green plants. Half of the room was a jungle, the other half barren. 

A big window was open on the far wall, illuminating the plain room. There was a double set of each piece of furniture: a bed, a desk, a chair, and a lamp. 

Jeongin stepped inside, “Hey! I think I’m your new roommate?” The boy jumped, then smiled widely at the newcomer. 

He had cherry red hair, wide brown eyes and a bright smile. He seemed to glow in the small room, his smile brightening the room, at home in a parade of greenery. 

“Hi, I’m Seungmin. Nice to meet you. I hope you don’t mind the plants,” the boy -- Seungmin-- said with a sheepish smile. 

“I’m Jeongin, and no, they’re great,” he replied, grinning. A fellow plant lover would certainly make for a good roommate. 

Jeongin pulled the remaining items into his half of the room and began unpacking. He started by sorting out the bare mattress situation. Seungmin helped him get his fitted sheet onto the dainty twin bed after seeing him struggle for a moment. 

“So, is this your first year here?” Seungmin asked, conversationally.

“Yeah, I just got here from the lower mainland. What about you?” he replied.

“It’s my second year. I’m majoring in Biology and Earth Sciences,” the red-haired boy responded. Jeongin nodded in understanding. They were lucky to attend a school that had such a wide variety of degree options. 

“I guess the plants make sense, then. My major is English, by the way,” Jeongin laughed. 

Seungmin grinned, turning back to his herbs on the windowsill, “Cool.” 

Jeongin smiled and began tugging his clothes free and placing them into the time-worn wardrobe. It seemed that despite the aged look of many things on campus, they all had character. The university, the town, and the sea felt alive and breathing. 

“So, are you from the island?” He asked. 

The older boy nodded, “Yep. I’m from a city a couple hours north though, so I decided that staying in a dorm would make more sense.”

The island was a fairly large one, with their university sitting on the southernmost tip. The air was dewy and salty from the surrounding sea. Towering pines would occasionally be so tall they contrasted the bright blue sky. 

Jeongin hummed, “Maybe you can show me around the university sometime, then,” and Seungmin agreed easily. 

“Hey, do you want to go get some drinks with my friends and I? I promise they’re nice,” the older boy asked. 

"Sure," Jeongin decided that he could finish the rest of his unpacking later. He deserved a cool drink after such a long morning. His life had truly changed a lot in only twenty-four hours, and it was time to let loose and take the chance to be spontaneous. 

Seungmin sent a quick text to his friends, then they were off down the barely air conditioned dorm hallway and into the sun. 

Jeongin squinted in the light, feeling the warmth of the midday sun on his skin. There were few clouds in the sky today, which had made the ferry ride over even more beautiful with the waves sparkling under the light and the sea lions perched on dark rocks. 

Seungmin led him down a stone paved walking path until they reached a small coffee shop. A bell on the door jingled as they stepped inside. 

The shop was beautiful. There was art hung on the walls and wide windows. Sunlight pooled into the shop, and Jeongin was led to a small group of people in one of the far corners. 

There were three boys sitting where two tables had been pushed together. 

“Guys, this is my new roommate Jeongin,” Seungmin gestured to him, then pointed at each of his friends, “this is Jisung, Felix, and Changbin.” 

Jisung had soft blonde hair and a bright smile. The second boy, Felix, also had blonde hair which was accompanied by adorable freckles peppering his cheeks and nose. Changbin had chocolate brown hair and an eyebrow piercing. 

The boys sat in awe for a moment, before a squeal was heard, “He’s so cute!” Jeongin’s cheeks proceeded to turn a soft pink in response. 

Jisung stood and pulled him into the seat next to him, “Welcome to the group! Changbin and I are Music majors and ‘Lix is majoring in Geography,” he explained. 

Jeongin smiled at them and replied with his own major. He couldn’t believe he had already met such an interesting group of individuals on his first day. He wondered if Changbin and Jisung wrote their own music, and what it sounded like. 

Seungmin, who returned with drinks for everyone, butted in, “So since Jeongin’s new, I thought it would only be fair that we give him the rundown of everything in town.” The three others nodded in agreement. 

“How about we show him around the campus?” Felix suggested. To this, Jeongin happily agreed, knowing that he should take any help he could get. In the meantime, he sipped on his sweet iced coffee and let soft chatter and the grinding of coffee beans fill the background.

Once all four of the boys finished their drinks, they stood and filed out of the cafe. The cold drink had done wonders, not only to ease the heat of the day but to give him a kick of energy.

“I’m sure you already know the basics about the campus, so we’ll only show you the good stuff,” Jisung said, eyes twinkling like evening stars.

They proceeded to show him a cute, hidden bakery that, according to the group, played the best music and not “that shitty pop stuff” as Changbin called it. 

The next stop was a community garden, courtesy of Seungmin, that was very lush and buzzing with life. He explained that students were allowed to use the space to plant their own vegetables. Jeongin decided to revisit it if he needed a peaceful spot to read. 

When they got close to the edges of the school, Jeongin spotted a looming forest. Something about it felt sentient, as if it was watching him just as much as he was watching it. Jisung spotted his wandering gaze and spoke slowly, “Avoid the forest, if you can. It’s nothing for a first year to be messing with.”

Jeongin wanted to ask about a thousand more questions, but the boys whisked him away before he could, as if nothing happened. _What the hell does that mean?_

Next, he was led deeper through the campus, along winding pathways and under the shaded canopy of maple trees. They waved at other passing students as Felix pointed out the university library and any notable buildings. 

It was truly quite beautiful. Jeongin was sure that he would be happy to live there forever. He itched to write it all down in the notebook that he left in his bag. Later. 

When their adventure finally seemed to come to an end, Seungmin and Jeongin bid the others goodbye in favour of returning to their dorm. The sun was beginning to come down, casting the sky in all shades of red and gold.

“Well?” Seungmin asked, grinning as they entered their shared room.

“Well, what?” Jeongin replied, confused. 

The older boy looked at him, “How do you like it?” 

Jeongin thought about the day, how the sun warmed his body, how the companionship of the new-found group felt so _right_. He thought about how excited he was to have the chance to be there on scholarship, making his family proud. He thought about the mysterious forest at the edge of campus. 

“It’s perfect,” he replied.

**Author's Note:**

> all of that and you still haven't met hyunjin.. this has been a story i have wanted to write for a really long time. something about the idea just feels so special to me. and im not saying that this is set in Victoria, Canada but thats exactly what im saying....
> 
> basically, last week i lost a friend of mine to su*cide and i've been going through the motions, unsure of what to do with myself. today, i decided to channel some of that into creating something i have wanted to do for a long time, because she inspired me with her own creativity. please let me know what you think. sorry for any mistakes. 
> 
> updates may be slow!


End file.
